Laura Spaulding, founder and CEO of Spaulding Decon, is a former law enforcement officer who has evolved her business from a solo operation to a nationwide franchise that specializes in biohazard disinfection and decontamination. Spaulding Decon topped the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 crime-scene cleaning category in 2022. In this episode of Real Stories in Restoration, Spaulding shares her journey from humble beginnings as a woman-led startup. Today, Spaulding Decon is scaling rapidly with 20 to 30 new franchises a year, has added real estate acquisitions to its business model, and has millions of followers on social media.

Verisk experts break down the 2026 Q1 restoration trends that cover claim volume, CAT losses, pricing, labor, materials, and loss severity.

David Gavilanes shares how restorers can properly prepare for fire response with hazard assessments, PPE, communication, community education, and partnerships.

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Fire restoration goes far beyond the visible damage. Mark Robertson of Benefect and Fiberlock discusses hidden contamination, coatings, deodorization, and customer communication on this episode of Ask The Expert.

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In this special episode of Ask the Expert, we talk with R&R’s 2026 Trailblazer Award Winner, Nate Judy, about his journey from "trying out" restoration to blazing his own trail in the industry.

In this special episode of Ask the Expert, we chat with our 2026 Women in Restoration Award winner, Meredith Truitt!

Boris Skoro of Prism Specialties shares best practices for managing large-loss restoration projects, including assessment, documentation, logistics, transparency, communication, and post-project reviews.

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